Not 4 the faint of heart!

Let me guess who would you rather see live?

Will you tell those that have an affliction that their lives equal those of a laboratory animal?

Will you tell those that are paraplegic that animal research has to stop because you are against animal use?

Will you tell the millions of people that are waiting for cures, treatments or life saving drugs that their condition is secondary to the fate of the animals that will be used in research?

Or will you listen to Professor Robin Lovell Badge whom says in this excellent article that when it comes to animal research nine out of ten statistics used by those opposing animal use are taken out of context?

When there is animal research towards finding cures or treatments, making sure that the intended drugs or treatments are safe for use in humans is a necessary step that requires animal testing. It would not be wise to go straight into human testing therefore assurances (toxicity levels etc) need to be obtained, measured and analyzed through animal research. This precautionary principle benefits mankind everywhere where it is applied and enshrined into laws. This has nothing to do with sentiency nor cruelty but everything to do with common sense and a high sense of civic duty and care.

Perhaps you may want to listen to Amanda Wainright, a young girl whom has signed the petition in support of medical progress through science and animals research. Here is what she has to say:

This is important to me because I, myself, am a paraplegic! I've been chair bound since 11.11.07, we need a cure! This is something I not only hope for myself, but for every person, (young , old, big, or small) that suffers through life with a impairment of any sort, that to date has no cure! WE ALL NEED A CURE, please sign this petition and support finding that cure that we all are so desperately waiting for! Thank you all in advance! It means the world to us! God bless you all for giving your time to read this! :)

And if you want to study and become a Doctor in Veterinary Medicine, read this guest post by Kelly Walton whom has some very constructive comments about animal research and how it benefits humans and animals.

Likewise I would kindly suggest you ask yourself what will happen with this valuable research as chimps are on the verge of disappearing as an animal model ? Animal cruelty or political correctness? Those millions of people that are waiting for cures will again be the silent victims of these great Victories...

Animal rights ID card and Research Chimpanzee Colony Valuable !

American Physiological Society Research Chimpanzee Colony is Valuable Resource

http://www.huffingtonpost.com/william-t-talman-md/animal-testing-medicine_b_2250283.html

Why would you care about animal research? Why not simply speak on behalf of animals, show compassion and decry animal use as torture, vile and useless? Join the masses of self-proclaimed politically correct thinkers: our society should treat animals on an equal basis as humans.

These two articles above should make you think. Medical progress isn't a result of chance, it is a difficult process that involves many brilliant and dedicated minds. It is true that not all research leads to a drug, the vast majority does not but it certainly isn't an exercise in futility. Some discoveries are indeed a result of chance or are the basis for other research. It is a building process where knowledge and understanding are building blocks -each scientist being able to build on the knowledge and foundations of the others. That doesn't mean there is no room for disagreement but indeed little room for ignorance.

You may decide for yourself that you can not live with such a process and you prefer to opt out. That is perfectly fine when that decision affects you and only you. Whilst opting out as an animal rights activist and as the Americans for medical Progress suggests you should  sign and carry this card that specifies:

Animal Rights Identification Card

Animal Rights Identification Card

I, ____________________________________

hereby identify myself as a supporter

of animal rights and agree to live my life in

accordance with all animal rights principles.

(over)

So as not to violate my animal rights principles, I

hereby request that in the event of an accident or

illness, all medical treatments developed or tested on animals be withheld, including but not limited to:

blood transfusions, anesthesia, pain killers,

antibiotics, insulin, vaccines, chemotherapy,

coronary bypass surgery, reconstructivesurgery, orthopedic surgery, etc.

©1992–2010. Compliments of Americans for Medical Progress: (703) 836-9595

Did you know that?

Did you know that Chimpanzees are the only species other than humans that can be infected by the hepatitis C virus?  The results from a study using chimps were critical in the development of the monoclonal antibody as is reported here on sciencedaily.com




Source: http://medimoon.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/08/hepatitis_c.gif 

Often people wonder what is happening with tax payers money that goes to for example the NIH.
Well in the case of the above study the NIH used some of it to fund this specific endeavour. This research was supported in part by the Intramural Research Program of the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases at NIH. Whereas the Southwest National Primate Research Center performed the chimpanzee studies , supported through a  NIH primate center grant P51 RR13986 and the NIH facilities grants C06 RR 12087 and C06 RR016228.  

Besides the research findings which are only at the proof of concept stage, patients that are suffering from the hep c virus now have a new hope of preventing the virus from damaging their newly transplanted liver. Isn't this what research is all about? Medical progress that eventually ends up saving lives.  For further information on the hep c virus and a new peptide that could prevent HCV entry into liver cells click here.

The WHO publishes a fact sheet on the disease here and in it you will find information on geographical distribution of the disease, transmission, symptoms, diagnosis, testing, treatment and prevention.

Did you know that the World Health Organization also organizes World Hepatitis Day on 28 July every year to increase awareness and understanding of viral hepatitis?